‘Native-faith’ Followers Still Marginalized

The state's recognition of “native-faith” followers is considered not optimal. Some followers of native faith are still constrained from accessing public services unlike other Indonesian citizens in general.

KOMPAS/IRMA TAMBUNAN

After waiting for a long time, it is only in 2021 that the population data of the Orang Rimba in Jambi has been recorded by the state. The administrative records marked the state's recognition of native faith  in these remote communities. In the photo, Mengkebul (squatting without clothes), one of the Orang Rimba, is waiting for the distribution of cash social assistance from the state, in the Terab area, Batanghari Regency, Jambi, Saturday, 22/5/2021).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – In 2017, the Constitutional Court granted a request for the judicial review of Law No. 23/2006 concerning Civil Registry Administration. With this, the native faith followers can declare their faith on the electronic ID card and leave the religion column blank. This is summarized in Constitutional Court ruling No. 97/PUU-XIV/2016.

Some of them managed to declare their faith on their e-IDs. However, other native faith followers faced difficulties because the officers in charge of ID card issuance did not understand the Constitutional Court's ruling.

"Most of them have renamed their belief, but not all of them. The socialization of the Constitutional Court ruling has not yet reached all subdistricts or cities/regencies. We are still receiving reports that there are regions that do not understand the regulation,” said Dian Jennie Cahyawati, chairman of Puan Hayati, a women's native faith followers organization, on Sunday (30/5/2021).

We are still receiving reports that there are regions that do not understand the regulation.

Followers of native faith should be able to immediately renew their IDs at the local population and civil registry office. However, according to Dian, some are still being asked for recommendation letters from neighborhood unit (RT), RW, subdistrict and district offices.

According to the chairman of the Sapta Darma Citizens Association (Persada), Naen Soeryono, there are still government officials in the regions who do not yet understand the rights of the native faith followers. "There are those who do not want to know and think that there are only six religions [recognized by the state]. Sometimes discrimination arises from subjectivity. Still, there is "displeasure" with the native faith followers, even though there is already a Constitutional Court ruling," he said, on Saturday.

The leader of the Orang Rimba group in the Terab area, Batanghari regency, Jambi, Tumenggung Ngelembo, said that it was only in 2021 that most of the Orang Rimba population data had been recorded by the state. They have waited for decades to get their citizenship status recognized, including the recognition that they follow their own native faith, Bedewo.

Kompas

Women representatives of survivors of native faiths pray together at the Constitutional Court, Jakarta, Wednesday (3/8).

Resistance

Various obstacles cause delays in the recording of population data for years. One of them is the reluctance of officers to fill out data regarding religion or faith.

"We do not want to be forced to convert to [state-promoted] religion because our faith is Bedewo," said Ngelembo. Bedewo is a hereditary belief in worshiping spirits believed to be gods, be they in big trees, animals and in the spirits of ancestors.

The Orang Rimba anthropologist, Robert Aritonang, said it was hard to convince the state to provide services to the Orang Rimba community. The Orang Rimba have often been left out of state services. In the field of education, parents cannot register their children for school because they do not have birth certificates, which are a requirement to enrol their children in school.

Likewise in the health sector, they cannot enjoy the services of the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS). In the political field, the Orang Rimba do not have the right to vote, let alone be elected. In the social sector, government assistance programs are often inaccessible.

We do not want to be forced to convert to [state-promoted] religion because our faith is Bedewo.

In Kuningan regency, West Java, discrimination against the Sunda Wiwitan followers has not ended. Aside from their population and civil registry status, which has not been fully recognized by the state, the Adat Karuhun Urang Sunda Wiwitan indigenous people also have difficulty in expressing their beliefs.

"We believe that discrimination is not over yet," said Dewi Kanti, girang pangaping (an advocate) of the Akur Sunda Wiwitan community.

The most recent case they face is the Kuningan regency administration’s decision to not recognize the request of the Sunda Wiwitan community as a customary law community. The rejection was based on the Kuningan Regent's letter No. 189/3436/DPMD on 29 December 2020. The reason was that Sunda Wiwitan was deemed not in compliance with Home Ministerial Regulation No. 52/2014 regarding the recognition of indigenous peoples, namely history, customary territories, customary law, assets and/or customary objects, as well as customary administration institutions/systems.

In fact, a number of documents related to the community’s customary rights have been submitted to the regency administration. This refusal threatens their customary land, which is the source of food for the community and the community will find it difficult to defend their customary land because it does not have a legal position when there is a land dispute.

KOMPAS/NIKSON SINAGA

A believer of Ugamo Malim's faith (one of native faith in Indonesia) held a sipahalima ceremony in Medan, North Sumatra, Wednesday (5/7/2017). For the first time, the ceremony was held outside the Worship Center in Toba Samosir Regency.

Not optimal yet

Community leader of Sedulur Sikep in Baturejo village, Sukolilo district, Pati regency, Gunretno, said that in fact the community had no obstacles in accessing documents related to population administration, such as ID cards. However, the government’s quick service that has been promoted widely in public, has not really materialized.

"I myself do not get into trouble because maybe [the service provider] thinks I am a community leader. However, those who do not have the power and access are still not well served,” he said.

According to Halili Hasan, director of research at Setara Institute, the Constitutional Court's ruling underlines the state's recognition of native faith followers as well as guarantees that native faith followers can access their rights as citizens.

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However, this recognition is deemed not optimal because all matters related to native faith followers are still being handled by the Directorate of Faith in God Almighty and Indigenous Community at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology. "Institutionally, this should be the authority of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. There is an impression that the recognition from the state is still half-hearted," said Halili.

Director of Faith in God Almighty and Indigenous Community at the Ministry of Education and Culture, Syamsul Hadi, said that the government has issued Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture No. 27/2016 concerning Education Services for Faith in God Almighty at the Education Unit. This year, there are 145 teachers of faith in schools and education institutions.

According to the Director General of Population and Civil Registry of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Zudan Arif Fakhrulloh, now native-faith followers have also enjoyed services in population document, starting from recording biodata and issuing population identification numbers, family cards, e-IDs and marriage registration.

"Please, the native faith followers also be active in checking with the Population and Civil Registry Office to apply for documents. If there are access problems, we will take care of it,” said Zudan.

(SKA/DIT/ELN/ITA/IKI/PDS/DIA/IDO)

This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswoko.